1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the cleaning of accumulated snow, in general, and to the clearing of accumulated snow from such automotive vehicles as automobiles and sport utility vehicles, in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known and understood, automotive supply stores, supermarkets and large retail store chains all make available for sale various types of devices to clean snow accumulations from cars, vans, and small utility trucks at the beginning of, and during each, snow season. Typically, such devices have a bristle brush at one end, and a scraper or squeegee at the opposite end. Recognizing that in some instances the bristle brush would only be effective for clearing light, powdery snow from the vehicle, other designs sometimes employ a small shovel instead of a scraper or squeegee to try to clear heavier accumulations. With either arrangement, however, only a limited amount of snow can be cleaned with each arm movement—and the wetter the snow is, or the more it has accumulated, the more difficult it is to clear it effectively. This becomes all the more so once it is appreciated that such devices come of limited lengths; then a user oftentimes has to open one of the vehicle doors to stand on its floorboard to try to reach over to its roof in attempting to clean the snow that accumulates there. But, by opening the door to gain a foothold, the snow that has gathered gets blown or falls into the vehicle, wetting its seats. While using a broom to clear the hood, the roof and the rear deck of the vehicle might appear to be a better alternative, to do so requires the coordinated rotation of both arms holding onto the handle of the broom in a sweeping action—which becomes harder to do the wetter the snow and the higher it piles on the vehicle. And, while the broom may be more effective than the bristle brush device in some respects, it becomes quite a task to use as the sweep widens, simply from the added weight of the snow being moved.